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San Bernardino
San Bernardino is the second song on the album Heretic Pride. Press Kit notes San Bernardino This is a song about a young unmarried couple giving birth in a cheap motel off the 10 freeway out towards the high desert in California. I wrote it on guitar, sent it to Eric Friedlander for arrangement and this is what he did with it. Is it too self-serving to say how much I love what Eric does here? I hope not. He plays everything on this track, I just sing and listen, hopefully in equal measures. Lyrics We got in your car and we hit the highway Eastern sun was rising over the mountains Yellow and blood red bits Like a kaleidoscope And flaming swords may guard the garden of Eden But we consulted maps from earlier days Dead languages on our tongues Holding on to our last hope And the day was bright and fine And the highway sign said, "San Bernardino welcomes you" I checked us into our hotel and filled the bathtub And you got in the warm warm water I pulled petals from my pocket I loved you so much just then And it was hard but you were brave, you are splendid And we will never be alone in this world No matter what they say We're gonna be okay We were safe inside and our new son cried, "San Bernardino welcomes you" Comments by John Darnielle About this Song *"This is a song about a couple having a baby in a hotel room at the freeway near where I grew up. It's not at this one hotel, but there's a hotel out Route 66 in California called the Wigwam. It's wigwams. You see it when you're a teenager and you think, 'Man, someday I'm going to stay there and it's going to be hilarious.' And then you get old enough to stay in hotels and, 'I'm never going to stay at the Wigwam. That's not cool.' So I thought of that hotel when I wrote this song, but I should like to tell you it's not at the Wigwam, it's down the road a little ways from there. 'Cause what's good in this story would be less good if the baby had to be born at the Wigwam." -- 2009-03-20 - Attucks Theatre - Norfolk, VA *"Here, however, the story is pretty clear, or I hope it is, and the song gave me a pretty good punch in the face as soon as we were done recording it, because I just lost my mind for about five minutes. Gone. Slumped over a piano a few feet from the microphone I'd been singing into, Erik Friedlander sitting in his chair where he'd been playing. (I did my vocal live with one of the cello parts, sitting facing Erik as he played.) I was thinking again about people who others talk down to: young mothers and fathers who have no prospects, no money, nothing going on. The two kids here give birth in a cheap motel somewhere in San Bernardino, probably right off the freeway, and the young man tries to express his love for the girl who's about to give birth. Which she does, and they feel at home in the world, even though the world isn't giving them its best yet. I feel hope for them, because they love each other. I know that that is a corny thing to say, so for people who have corn allergies I apologize. But these two, they're going to be the future, so it'd be awesome if we could give them enough leeway to become who they're gonna become, and encourage them when we can. I have a fondness for them though I barely know them. Their feeling for one another inspires me, is what it is." -- "My Five Favorite Mountain Goats Characters" -- eMusic article *"This song takes place in the Wigwam Motel." -- 2014-06-17 - Mayan Theatre - Los Angeles, CA Things Referenced in this Song Live Shows this Song Was Played at *2008-02-23 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA *2008-02-25 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR *2008-02-29 - Bimbo's - San Francisco, CA *2008-03-04 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-03-05 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-03-18 - Webster Hall - New York, NY *2008-05-26 - Daytrotter Session - Daytrotter Studio - Rock Island, IL *2008-06-06 - Natural History Museum - Los Angeles, CA *2008-08-17 - Folks Festival - Lyons, CO *2008-09-15 - ULU - London, England *2008-10-13 - Park West - Chicago, IL *2008-10-23 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA *2008-10-26 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-11-01 - Antones - Austin, TX *2008-11-09 - Webster Hall - New York, NY *2008-12-05 - Manning Bar - Sydney, Australia *2008-12-06 - Cambridge Hotel - Newcastle, Australia *2008-12-18 - San Francisco Bath House - Wellington, New Zealand *2009-03-20 - Attucks Theatre - Norfolk, VA *2011-05-22 - Whelan's - Dublin, Ireland *2011-05-24 - Coalition - Brighton, England *2011-05-27 - Manchester Academy 3 - Manchester, England *2011-05-29 - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut - Glasgow, Scotland *2011-06-18 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR *2011-06-24 - Soho Restaurant and Music Club - Santa Barbara, CA *2011-07-28 - Meadowbrook Pavilion - Gilford, NH *2012-05-01 - The Bakery - Perth, Australia *2012-06-27 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco, CA *2012-06-30 - McCabe's Guitar Shop - Santa Monica, CA *2012-07-01 - McCabe's Guitar Shop - Santa Monica, CA *2012-07-03 - Folk Music Center - Claremont, CA *2012-09-01 - Front Porch Music Festival - Livermore, CA *2012-10-09 - The National - Richmond, VA *2012-10-11 - Theater of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA *2012-10-13 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY *2012-10-15 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY *2012-10-23 - Pabst Theatre - Milwaukee, WI *2012-12-05 - Emo's East - Austin, TX *2012-12-13 - Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA *2012-12-14 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA *2012-12-17 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA *2013-06-11 - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead - Munhall, PA *2013-09-14 - Atlantic Ocean Comedy and Music Festival *2013-10-09 - Royal Northern College of Music - Manchester, England *2014-04-16 - Somerville Theatre - Somerville, MA *2014-04-17 - Club Helsinki - Hudson, NY *2014-04-19 - Laurie's Planet of Sound - Chicago, IL *2014-04-20 - Old Town School of Folk Music - Chicago, IL *2014-04-21 - Scope Productions Presents First United Methodist Church - Iowa City, IA *2014-06-07 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT *2014-06-11 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR *2014-06-17 - Mayan Theatre - Los Angeles, CA *2014-06-18 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ *2014-06-20 - Dan's Silverleaf - Denton, TX *2014-06-21 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX *2014-06-22 - The Mohawk - Austin, TX *2014-06-27 - Boys Rock for Girls Rock - Haw River Ballroom - Saxapahaw, NC *2014-07-25 - Merge 25 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC *2015-09-08 - Off Broadway - St. Louis, MO *2015-09-09 - Lawrence Arts Center - Lawrence, KS *2015-11-23 - Heliogàbal - Barcelona, Spain *2016-03-01 - The Depot - Humboldt State University - Arcata, CA *2016-04-07 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH *2016-05-12 - The Pinhook - Durham, NC *2016-10-02 - The Blue Note - Columbia, MO *2016-10-27 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO *2016-11-12 - Jam Room Music Festival - Columbia, SC *2017-05-22 - Terminal West - Atlanta, GA *2017-05-27 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX *2017-05-31 - The Mayan - Los Angeles, CA *2017-06-01 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA *2017-06-02 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA *2017-06-05 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA *2017-06-06 - KEXP Session - Seattle, WA *2017-06-23 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY *2017-06-24 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY Videos of this Song *2008-02-29 - Bimbo's - San Francisco, CA *2008-08-17 - Folks Festival - Lyons, CO *2011-05-22 - Whelan's - Dublin, Ireland *2011-05-24 - Coalition - Brighton, England *2011-05-27 - Manchester Academy 3 - Manchester, England *2011-06-18 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR *2014-04-16 - Somerville Theatre - Somerville, MA *2014-04-19 - Laurie's Planet of Sound - Chicago, IL *2014-06-17 - Mayan Theatre - Los Angeles, CA *2014-06-21 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX *2014-07-25 - Merge 25 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC Category:Heretic Pride songs Category:Video